William White Letters

The following is a collection of five Civil War letters sent by William White to friend, Jacob Wead of Sheldon, Vermont, 1863-1864. The Vermont Historical Society's collection also includes one letter (not transcribed here) sent to Jacob Wead by his father, D.D. Wead, reporting that the Fenians were assembling in Fairfield in June 1866.

White was born in Ireland in 1819. He married Sarah Husband on May 3, 1843, in Parish Ballintemple. White entered the US after living for sometime in Canada, where two daughters were born. It seems that he entered the United States sometime between 1851 and 1853, and was naturalized a US citizen in St. Albans, Vermont, in 1857.

White enlisted as a Sergeant in Co. I, 10th Vermont Regiment, on August 9, 1862, and was promoted to 1st Sergeant on December 5, 1862. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on April 2, 1864, and was wounded at Cold Harbor, Va., on June 1, 1864. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant on August 9, 1864, and was wounded a second time on October 19, 1864, at Cedar Creek, Va. He was promoted to Captain on June 15, 1865, and was mustered out at the rank of 1st Lieutenant on June 22, 1865. He died on August 14, 1904, at Sheldon, Vt., and was buried there in the Old Cemetery.

These letters are in the collection of the Vermont Historical Society (Misc. File 0249). The transcriptions were made by John Cotton, White's great-great grandson.